Museo Alameda celebrates final night as museum

Patrons explore an exhibit by artist Luis Moro as the Museo Alameda bid farewell during a reception Sunday evening before A&M-San Antonio moves in and revamps it as more of an educational facility, September 30, 2012.

Photo By JENNIFER WHITNEY

Decibal Band's acoustic ensemble, from left, Roberto Alva, Jose Cedillo, and Rodrigo Alva perform as the Museo Alameda bid farewell during a reception Sunday evening before A&M-San Antonio moves in and revamps it as more of an educational facility, September 30, 2012. Roberto, left, composed a special song called "Museo Alameda" for the closing reception.

Photo By JENNIFER WHITNEY

People mingle around a case of prints by artist Luis Moro as the Museo Alameda bid farewell during a reception Sunday evening before A&M-San Antonio moves in and revamps it as more of an educational facility, September 30, 2012.

Photo By JENNIFER WHITNEY

David Garrido, 8, grandson of Theresa Cruz, one of the museum's cultural coordinators, plays video games in the corner of an empty exhibition room as the Museo Alameda bid farewell during a reception Sunday evening before A&M-San Antonio moves in and revamps it as more of an educational facility, September 30, 2012.

Photo By JENNIFER WHITNEY

Guillermo Hoyos, the outgoing executive director, does a tv news interview before his speech as the Museo Alameda bid farewell during a reception Sunday evening before A&M-San Antonio moves in and revamps it as more of an educational facility, September 30, 2012.

Photo By JENNIFER WHITNEY

Ladies rest on a bench outside the closed gift shop as the Museo Alameda bid farewell during a reception Sunday evening before A&M-San Antonio moves in and revamps it as more of an educational facility, September 30, 2012.

Photo By JENNIFER WHITNEY

Patrons rest on benches in the foyer that looks out onto Market Square as the Museo Alameda bid farewell during a reception Sunday evening before A&M-San Antonio moves in and revamps it as more of an educational facility, September 30, 2012.

Photo By JENNIFER WHITNEY

The closed gift shop asa the Museo Alameda bid farewell during a reception Sunday evening before A&M-San Antonio moves in and revamps it as more of an educational facility, September 30, 2012.

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About 400 patrons of the Museo Alameda — a museum of many firsts — spent a few hours Sunday evening honoring its efforts at showcasing Latino arts before permanently bidding farewell to its art museum incarnation.

“It's a little nostalgic,” musician Roberto Alva said before performing a Latin jazz song he wrote and named for the museum — a swan song now.

“We don't really see the value of things until (we see) the hole they leave in us when they're gone,” he said.

The museum in Market Square opened to enthusiastic fanfare in 2007 with hopes of attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors per year. The project marked a first-of-its-kind affiliation between the Smithsonian Institution and a community organization. The Legislature had designated it the official Texas State Latino Museum.

During its 29 exhibitions, the museum's walls showcased art by big names and locals — from renowned Mexican muralist Diego Rivera to San Antonio artist Jerry Cabrera, whose work captures the flourish of matador capes.

But, from early on, the institution suffered personnel and financial woes. By 2010, it was about $1.5 million in debt and struggling to keep its doors open. It received a $450,000 bailout from the city that year.

Guillermo Hoyos took over as executive director in 2010 but wasn't able to save the museum, though he said visitor numbers jumped from 500 per month to 5,000 per month since then. The museum's brand was too damaged to draw the corporate philanthropy it needed to survive, he said.

In August, the City Council approved a lease allowing Texas A&M University-San Antonio to take over the building. The school plans to create an educational and cultural arts center.

A&M-San Antonio spokeswoman Marilu Reyna said the university expects to have the keys of the facility by today but won't begin staffing the building until November.

Reyna said the university will work closely with the city's Office of Cultural Affairs and might bring together focus groups as they develop a strategic plan.

The university might create a K-12 summer fine arts program at the location as soon as next summer in hopes of sparking a fine arts program for the university, which has none.

Its business school might offer courses and symposiums on international affairs and international business there as well, focusing on Latin American relations.